I’ve been having a little bit of writer’s block the past few weeks, and it still isn’t fully healed.

So, instead of telling you all what I’ve been up to lately, I’m just going to show you pictures and hope you can forgive me.

Also, here’s an extremely fudgy and weird brownie recipe I whipped up. I saw a “red velvet brownie” recipe made with beans and I just went all out and added avocados. I guess if you weren’t made about the writer’s block, this recipe might make you mad. But don’t let it.. I promise it tastes a million times better than it sounds. The lack of flour and replacement of beans and avocados makes these brownies so fudgy it’s ridiculous.

I love making desserts, but when I go on trips and stuff, I like to bring healthy snacks so I always go to her website when I’m looking for one.

The last recipe I made turned out really well. I made her Cake Batter Energy bars and they were delish. The only change I made to the recipe was adding a “frosting” made with cake batter flavored protein powder mixed with melted coconut oil.

I eat my fair share of unhealthy desserts, but sometimes, I get on health kicks and even my desserts have to be healthy (doesn’t happen very often). This was one of those times.

Most of the time when I try to make healthy desserts, they taste like crap… but these actually turned out really well. The honey and little bit of brown sugar somehow gave them just enough sweetness and the chia seed added a nice crunch. These are yummy treats for snacks and/or breakfast.

I was going on a trip and wanted to make snacks. When Kellen suggested crackers, I jumped at the opportunity because I’d never made them before.

I was extremely satisfied with them, but next time I think I’ll add a little more liquid to them because they were a tad dry. But, the flavor is great and I felt pretty proud that I made healthy, homemade crackers, thanks to Kitchen Stewardship.

Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter thoroughly into the dry mixture until it looks like large crumbs, no bigger than a pea.

Combine the water and honey in a measuring cup and add to the flour mixture.

Mix well until combined and dough forms, but only as long as necessary for the most tender crackers.

Use parchment paper, a lightly greased cookie sheet, or an ungreased baking stone.

Only use one fourth of the dough at a time. Cover all your surfaces with flour and roll the dough as evenly as you can. You might flip the dough to make it easier to roll. Keep rolling until the dough is as thin as humanly possible without tearing. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife and cut the dough into squares or triangles, about 1 1/2 inches each.

Fork pokes make them look extra authentic. If you want all beautifully square crackers, you can trim the edges square.

Make sure your oven is preheated to 400 F. If you have used a mat or parchment paper, just slide it onto a cookie sheet. If you don’t have either, you’ll have to move each cracker individually. Sprinkle the squares lightly with real salt, if Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

Bake the crackers, one sheet at a time, until crisp and browned, 5 to 10 minutes. If some of the thinner crackers on the edges brown too quickly, remove them and return the remaining crackers to the oven to finish baking. These crackers bake quickly, so watch them closely – even 30 seconds can turn them from golden brown to toast! You want them to be almost crispy, but not totally breakable to deem them “done”, because they will crisp up a bit as they cool.

Remove the crackers from the oven and cool on the pan or on a rack; they cool quickly. These crackers will stay crisp for many days, but are best stored in airtight containers.

YIELD: 12 TORTILLAS

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

In the bowl of a mixer set with a dough hook (or paddle), pour in the flour, oil and salt.

Beat with the dough hook until crumbly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape the sides as needed.

With the mixer running, gradually add the warm water and continue mixing until the dough is smooth, about 3 minutes.

Take out the dough and divide it into 12 equal sized pieces.

Using the palms of your hand roll each piece into a round ball and flatten it out on a baking tray or board. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes or up to one hour.

Heat a cast iron skillet, griddle or 12-inch skillet over med-high heat. The pan should be fairly hot before you begin cooking the tortillas.

On a lightly floured board or counter top, use a rolling pin to turn each ball into a 8 to 10 inch flat circle. Be careful not to use more than a teaspoon or two of flour when rolling out each ball into a tortilla because too much excess flour will burn in the pan.

Grease the pan with a touch of oil and then carefully transfer each tortilla, one at a time, to the pan and cook until puffy and slightly brown, about 30 to 45 seconds per side.

Set aside on a plate to cool slightly. Refrigerate or freeze. (I left mine out at room temperature and they were fine for a week.)

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Just Tell Me What to Eat! I received the PDF file and was excited about that, but then I received the hard cover copy in the mail and cannot express how excited I was!

Needless to say, I started reading it and was surprised to find 8 whole weeks full of healthy meals.

The book isn’t one of those “lose weight fast” books, it’s one that tells you how to eat healthily. The right way to lose weight. I’m not looking to lose weight, but this book has taught me how to eat healthy.

The book just came out and it already has 5 stars on Amazon.

I’ve already tried 2 or 3 of the recipes and they’ve all been amazing!!!

You should buy this book even if you’re just looking for some good and healthy dinner recipes.

I’ll be posting them sporadically, but I’m not going to post the recipe.

This taco salad is so delicious. It doesn’t taste healthy, and it’s chock-full of things that are good for you. And it’s made with chicken instead of beef. Buy the book. Try it. You won’t regret it. 🙂

Normally, I’m not a big fan of Biscotti. I’m Italian, though, so I should love it, right? 😉

Well, I don’t. I prefer my cookies to be softer. And I know that I could make them softer by dipping them in coffee, but I don’t really like coffee all that much either.

So, um, why did I make Biscotti?

I’ll tell you why.

I wanted to put store-bought Biscotti to shame and make some that tasted good.

And I did just that! This Biscotti is amazing! The orange flavor really accentuates all of the other flavors in just the right way… and it has just the right amount of crunch/chewiness… and they’re good for you!

I even put on my big girl panties and had it with coffee this morning. And I loved it!

3 large eggs1 teaspoon vanilla extractzest of 1 whole orange (about 2 tablespoons)1 cup all-purpose flour1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or you can just use 2 cups all purpose flour)1/4 cup sugar1/2 cup packed brown sugar2 teaspoons baking powder1/4 teaspoon salt1/2 cup almonds, pecans, walnuts, toasted pistachios (or a combination of nuts)1 cup chopped dates 1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.2. In a small bowl, mix the eggs, vanilla and orange zest. 3. Add the remaining ingredients except the nuts. 4. Stir using a spoon first and then using your hands. The dough will be very sticky and tacky, so I suggest greasing or flouring your hands. Stir in the nuts and dates.5. Flouring your hands and working surface, roll half of the dough into a 12-inch log. Place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat. Repeat with the remaining dough.6. Bake in the center position of the oven for about 40-50 minutes, until golden brown. Take the logs off the sheet and onto a cooling rack, let cool for about 5 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 275 degrees and line another baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.7. Use a serrated knife to slice the logs into 1/2-inch thick slices. 8, Return the slices to the baking sheets and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and almost crisp. 9. Transfer to cooling racks and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.